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Jimmy Brown, new handpicked Office of Neighborhood Involvement Director.

PHOTO BY LEE PERLMAN
What is Jimmy Brown like?

East Portland leaders size up the new citizen involvement director, withhold judgement

LEE PERLMAN
THE MID COUNTY MEMO

How do East Portland community leaders rate new Office of Neighborhood Involvement director Jimmy Brown?

The word so far: seems like a nice guy, but too soon to tell.

Brown took over the position in early December, following the resignation and abrupt departure of his predecessor David Lane.

In one of his many departures from tradition, commissioner in charge Randy Leonard made Brown, a longtime friend, his first and only choice, rather than engage in a lengthy search process.

Born in Portland, Brown graduated from Jefferson High School, and received degrees in psychology from Lewis and Clark, in vocational education for the disadvantaged from Ohio State, and in public health from Boston University. He has worked since 1985 for Multnomah County’s Juvenile Justice Division, including several years with the Gang Resource Intervention Team, mostly in inner northeast, but in the Burnside area and Southeast as well.

He is direct about the fact that there have been, and will continue to be changes in the bureau. An example is the popular Neighborhood Crime Prevention Program, the subject of a major shakeup by Leonard that saw a rewriting of job descriptions and four of the ten specialists leave the bureau. Both Brown and Leonard say the specialists will still perform their old functions of training and supporting neighborhood volunteers in forming block watch networks and foot patrols, negotiating Good Neighbor Agreements with local businesses, and the like. However, Brown does not pretend that the changes are inconsequential. “This is not just a work activity change, but a philosophical change, and we need to clearly articulate that for stakeholders,” he says.

Then there is the larger question of whether the bureau should be primarily support for volunteers, as it has been for 30 years, or a provider of law enforcement and other services. Leonard has been moving in that direction. At one point he considered renaming it the “Office of Neighborhood Services,” before withdrawing the proposal in the face of unexpected opposition.

Brown’s answer: have both. “We can’t separate citizen involvement from providing services,” he says. “Our role is not exclusive, it’s inclusive.”

Inclusive, as well, should be decision-making processes, with all parties involved and having a say. As to the role of ONI he says, “The original mission has matured over 30 years; it hasn’t disappeared.”

In keeping with his philosophy of inclusiveness, he has vowed to visit the city’s seven neighborhood coalitions and offices (including East Portland) regularly, and is now at work doing just that.

How is he perceived?

“I really don’t know Jimmy well enough or worked with him enough yet,” Hazelwood Neighborhood Association chair Arlene Kimura says. “He’s been meeting with neighborhood association leaders and bureau directors. I think he’s trying to meet with as many people as he can, but it has to involve more than just shaking hands and saying, ‘Hi, I’m Jimmy Brown.’ As far as Hazelwood is concerned, we don’t know him.” Bonny McKnight of Russell Neighborhood Association had similar sentiments, but a slightly more optimistic tone. “I don’t know him yet, and I have no way to judge,” she says of Brown. “He seems like a really nice guy who’s diligent and listens.”

McKnight, who at times has gone toe to toe with Leonard on issues, says she was pleasantly surprised in a recent conversation. When a neighborhood leader delegation asked Leonard to spare the neighborhood offices from budget cuts this year the commissioner reportedly seemed sympathetic, asked questions, and seemed appalled at the low level of funding the offices now “enjoy.”

“There seems to be a change in the atmosphere at ONI,” McKnight says. “I’m not sure if that’s due to Jimmy or if Randy’s in campaign mode.” Leonard runs for re-election this year.
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